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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Winter Storm Slams into Texas, Knocking Out Power for Over
200,000 (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/texas-winter-storm-power-outages-flights-1850059955
Pebble Mine: Alaska Gold, Copper Mine Blocked Over
Environmental Worries (Associated Press)
California Is Lone Holdout in Colorado River Water Cuts
Proposal (Associated Press)
U.S. Natural Gas Consumption Reached Record Daily High in
Late December 2022 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55359
Here’s How High Pacific Gas & Electric Says Bills Could
Get During This Historically Cold, Wet Winter in CA (KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA)
https://abc7news.com/pge-bills-cold-weather-utility-rate-increase-2023-ca-gas-and-electric/12751893/
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
U.S. Natural Gas Consumption Reached Record
Daily High in Late December 2022
2.
Here’s How High Pacific Gas & Electric Says
Bills Could Get During This Historically Cold, Wet Winter in CA
3.
Cold Reality: WA State Energy Rates Rise as
Temperatures Fall
4.
How Washington’s Wildfires Could Raise
Electricity Rates
5.
Even With a Mild Winter, More Americans Struggle
to Pay Their Energy Bills
6.
USDA Announces $2.7 Billion in Rural Electric
Infrastructure Funding – WA & Oregon Utilities Benefit
7.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative to Receive Nearly
$90 Million for Eastern OR Power Grid
8.
American Public Power Association’s Waterhouse
Underscores Threat to Reliability with Transformer Supply Chain Challenges
9.
'Next Generation': Women Make Inroads as Co-op
CEOs
10.
Guest Essay: The Numbers Don’t Add Up for the
Horse Heaven Hills Wind Farm
11.
Guest Essay: Energy In, Energy Out: Making Use
of Heat from Data Centers
12.
Whale Deaths Along East Coast Prompt 12 New
Jersey Mayors’ Call for Offshore Wind Farm Moratorium
13.
U.S. Solar Prices Still Soaring as Projects
Stalled
14.
The Spanish Town Powered by Waves
15.
Why Is My Electric Bill So High? 13 Ways to
Lower It
16.
Sturgeon Numbers Sinking in Columbia River
17.
Threatened Status for Pacific Northwest Songbird
Draws Lawsuit by Bird Lovers
18.
Pebble Mine: Alaska Gold, Copper Mine Blocked
Over Environmental Worries
19.
California Is Lone Holdout in Colorado River
Water Cuts Proposal
20.
California Releases Its Own Plan for Colorado
River Water Cuts
21.
Environmental Group Urges California to Limit
the Growing of Almonds & Alfalfa
22.
On WA’s coast, the Threat of a Flood Is Its Own
Disaster
23.
Climate Change Could Turn Seattle into an
Umbrella City
24.
When Fiber Construction Goes Wrong
25.
Washington & Oregon May Regulate the Wild
West of Crypto Mining
26.
Wyoming Bucks President Biden on Electric
Vehicles
27.
San Francisco Asks California Regulators to Halt
or Slow the Rollout of Driverless Taxis
28.
U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers (WA), First Woman to
Lead Energy & Commerce Committee; Encourages Members to Reach Across Aisle
29.
Washington GOP Lawmakers Propose Cap-And-Trade
Watchdog
30.
Washingtonians Must Prepare for the Impacts of
Wildfire & Smoke. These Bills Could Help
31.
Montana: Legislature Takes Up Recent Redrawing
of Public Service Commission Districts
32.
Top U.S. Proxy Advisers Defend Their
Environmental, Social, & Governance Approaches
33.
Winter Storm Slams into Texas, Knocking Out
Power for Over 200,000
34. Fate of Massive Washington Aluminum Plant Remains Unclear
WORD OF THE DAY
Cicerone • \siss-uh-ROE-nee\ • noun – 1: a guide who conducts sightseers *2: mentor, tutor
“And if you look to your left, you’ll see an actual copy of the replica of a Halloween costume of Elvis’ jumpsuit from the later stage of his career,” droned the ponderous cicerone who was leading a rag-tag group of tourists at the low-budget Elvis impersonator museum in Las Vegas. “This is the worst fifty bucks I’ve ever spent on something,” muttered Ambrose to his impeccably coifed companion.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
U.S. Natural Gas Consumption Reached Record
Daily High in Late December 2022 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55359
2.
Here’s How High Pacific Gas & Electric Says
Bills Could Get During This Historically Cold, Wet Winter in CA (KGO-TV, San
Francisco, CA)
https://abc7news.com/pge-bills-cold-weather-utility-rate-increase-2023-ca-gas-and-electric/12751893/
3.
Cold Reality: WA State Energy Rates Rise as Temperatures
Fall (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
4.
How Washington’s Wildfires Could Raise
Electricity Rates (The Center Square)
5.
Even With a Mild Winter, More Americans Struggle
to Pay Their Energy Bills (USA Today)
6.
USDA Announces $2.7 Billion in Rural Electric
Infrastructure Funding – WA & Oregon Utilities Benefit (Pacific Northwest
Ag Network)
https://pnwag.net/usda-announces-2-7-billion-in-rural-electric-infrastructure-funding/
7.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative to Receive Nearly
$90 Million for Eastern OR Power Grid (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
8.
American Public Power Association’s Waterhouse
Underscores Threat to Reliability with Transformer Supply Chain Challenges (American
Public Power Association)
9.
'Next Generation': Women Make Inroads as Co-op
CEOs (Rural Electric Magazine)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
10.
Guest Essay: The Numbers Don’t Add Up for the Horse
Heaven Hills Wind Farm (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article271879052.html
11.
Guest Essay: Energy In, Energy Out: Making Use of
Heat from Data Centers (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
12.
Whale Deaths Along East Coast Prompt 12 New
Jersey Mayors’ Call for Offshore Wind Farm Moratorium (USA Today)
13.
U.S. Solar Prices Still Soaring as Projects
Stalled (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-solar-prices-still-soaring-projects-stalled-2023-01-31/
14.
The Spanish Town Powered by Waves (British
Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230122-the-spanish-town-powered-by-waves
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
15.
Why Is My Electric Bill So High? 13 Ways to
Lower It (USA Today)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/reviewed/2023/01/31/ways-to-lower-your-electric-bill/51230329/
FISH & WILDLIFE
16.
Sturgeon Numbers Sinking in Columbia River (Vancouver
Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/feb/01/sturgeon-numbers-sinking-in-columbia-river/
17.
Threatened Status for Pacific Northwest Songbird
Draws Lawsuit by Bird Lovers (Courthouse News Service)
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
18.
Pebble Mine: Alaska Gold, Copper Mine Blocked
Over Environmental Worries (Associated Press)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
19.
California Is Lone Holdout in Colorado River Water
Cuts Proposal (Associated Press)
20.
California Releases Its Own Plan for Colorado
River Water Cuts (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/california-releases-its-own-plan-for-colorado-17755553.php
21.
Environmental Group Urges California to Limit the
Growing of Almonds & Alfalfa (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
22.
On WA’s coast, the Threat of a Flood Is Its Own
Disaster (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/podcast/crosscut-reports/1/9/podcast-was-coast-threat-flood-its-own-disaster
23.
Climate Change Could Turn Seattle into an Umbrella
City (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/01/31/umbrella-seattle-climate-change-rain
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
24.
When Fiber Construction Goes Wrong (Pots&
Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2023/02/01/when-fiber-construction-goes-wrong/
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
25.
Washington & Oregon May Regulate the Wild West
of Crypto Mining (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/politics/2023/01/washington-and-oregon-may-regulate-wild-west-crypto-mining
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
26.
Wyoming Bucks President Biden on Electric
Vehicles (Politico)
27.
San Francisco Asks California Regulators to Halt
or Slow the Rollout of Driverless Taxis (Engadget)
GOVERNMENT & GOVERNANCE
28.
U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers (WA), First Woman to
Lead Energy & Commerce Committee; Encourages Members to Reach Across Aisle (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/31/mcmorris-rodgers-first-woman-to-lead-energy-and-co/
29.
Washington GOP Lawmakers Propose Cap-And-Trade
Watchdog (Capital Press)
30.
Washingtonians Must Prepare for the Impacts of Wildfire
& Smoke. These Bills Could Help (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article271884057.html
31.
Montana: Legislature Takes Up Recent Redrawing of
Public Service Commission Districts (The Missoulian, MT)
32.
Top U.S. Proxy Advisers Defend Their Environmental,
Social, & Governance Approaches (Reuters)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
33.
Winter Storm Slams into Texas, Knocking Out
Power for Over 200,000 (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/texas-winter-storm-power-outages-flights-1850059955
34.
Fate of Massive Washington Aluminum Plant
Remains Unclear (Columbia Insight)
https://columbiainsight.org/is-washington-aluminum-plant-slated-for-demolition-or-not/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Tiny Gold Lord’s Prayer Engraved in Eye of Needle by Birmingham
Artist
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-64467177
Man Wins $1 Million Lottery Prize After Person Cut in Front of
Him
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-wins-1-million-lottery-011626751.html
Basketball Coach Fired After Impersonating 13-Year-Old
Player During Game
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/basketball-coach-impersonates-13-year-old_n_63d95fffe4b07c0c7e063a61
Radioactive Capsule That Fell Off Truck Found in Australia
https://apnews.com/article/australia-radioactive-capsule-f02bfceb67639fbd0244873bebd9f888
SONG OF THE DAY
The Beach Boys - Sail on Sailor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQOaLP-qPmk
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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